Shadows in the Light
by Never-Say-Never96
Summary: Willowpaw is born in a time of peace. Little do the Clans know, the Dark Forest is waiting to strike and take over the lake. Only one cat is standing in their way. Willowpaw. And they will do anything to finally rule.
1. Allegiances and Prologue

**Hey Everyone! **

**Yes, another story from me. I know I promised I would make the sequel to Life Story of Dappleleaf, and I already have Marked for Dead, but I just had a yearning to make a new story. **

**So heres the allegiances and the prologue!**

**Oh, and btw I killed Mousewhisker... and Foxleap, Toadfoot, and Rosepetal. I thought that ThunderClan had far too many cats in it, so I got ready of some. Lets go with greencough epidemic. xD**

**ThunderClan**

**Leader: **Bramblestar- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Deputy:** Sandstorm- pale ginger she-cat

**Medicine Cat:** Jayfeather-gray tabby tom

**Warriors:**  
Dustpelt-dark brown tabby tom

Sorreltail-tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Cloudtail-long-haired white tom

Brightheart-white she-cat with ginger patches

Thornclaw-golden brown tabby tom

Squirrelflight-dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Leafpool-light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

Spiderleg-long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Berrynose-cream-colored tom

Hazeltail-small gray-and-white she-cat

Cinderheart-gray tabby she-cat  
Apprentice, Ivypaw

Lionblaze-golden tabby tom  
Apprentice, Dovepaw

Icecloud-white she-cat

Briartail- dark brown she-cat

Bumblewhisker- pale gray tom with black stripes

Blossomflower- tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Whitewing- white she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices:**  
Dovepaw- gray she-cat

Ivypaw- white and brown tabby she-cat

**Queens:**  
Ferncloud-pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes

Daisy-cream long-furred cat from the horseplace

Poppyfrost-tortoiseshell she-cat, mother of Berrynose's kits: Willowkit (silver she-cat), Stormkit (gray tom), and Brookkit (brown tabby she-cat)

Icecloud- white she-cat, mother of Bumblewhiskers kits: Sunkit (ginger she-cat) and Trailkit (light brown tom)

**Elders:**  
Longtail-pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight

Graystripe-long-haired gray tom

Brackenfur-golden brown tabby tom

**ShadowClan**

**Leader:** Russetstar- dark ginger she-cat

**Deputy:** Rowanclaw- ginger tom

**Medicine Cat:** Flametail- ginger tom

**Warriors:**

Toadfoot-dark brown tom

Applefur-mottled brown she-cat

Crowfrost-black-and-white tom  
Apprentice, Blackpaw

Ratscar-brown tom with long scar across his back

Tawnypelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Olivenose-tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlclaw-light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot-gray she-cat with black feet

Scorchfur-dark gray tom  
Apprentice, Swirlpaw

Redwillow-mottled brown and ginger tom

Tigerheart-dark brown tabby tom

Dawnpelt-cream-furred she-cat

Ferretwhisker- cream-and-gray tom

Pinepelt- black she-cat

**Apprentices:**  
Blackpaw- black tom

Swirlpaw- silver and white she-cat

**Queens: **

Ivytail-black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat, mother of Toadfoot's kit: Darkkit (black and white tom)

**Elders:**  
Oakfur- small brown tom

Snowbird- pure white she-cat

Smokefoot- black tom

**WindClan**

**Leader: **Onestar-brown tabby tom

**Deputy:** Ashfoot-gray she-cat

**Medicine Cat:** Kestrelflight-mottled gray tom

**Warriors:**

Owlwhisker-light brown tabby tom

Whitetail-small white she-cat

Gorsetail-very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes  
Apprentice, Rosepaw

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Harespring-brown-and-white tom

Leaftail-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Antpelt-brown tom with one black ear

Emberfoot-gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail-light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Breezepelt-black tom with amber eyes

Sedgewhisker-light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowtail-dark gray she-cat

Whiskertail- light brown tom

**Apprentices**:

Rosepaw- light brown she-cat

**Queens:**  
Sunstrike- tortoiseshell she-cat with a large white mark on her forehead. Expecting Harespring's kits

**Elders**:  
Crowfeather- dark gray tom

Nightcloud- black she-cat

**RiverClan**

**Leader:** Leopardstar-unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

**Deputy**: Mistyfoot-gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Willowshine- gray tabby she-cat

**Warriors:**  
Reedwhisker-black tom

Rippletail-dark gray tabby tom

Mintfur-light gray tabby tom

Icewing-white she-cat with blue eyes

Minnowtail-dark gray she-cat  
Apprentice, Mossypaw

Pebblefoot-mottled gray tom  
Apprentice, Rushpaw

Mallownose-light brown tabby tom

Robinwing-tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Beetlewhisker-brown-and-white tabby tom

Hollowpelt- dark brown tabby tom

**Apprentices:**

Mossypaw-brown-and-white she-cat

Rushpaw-light brown tabby tom

**Queens:**  
Duskfur-brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

**Elders:**

Dapplenose-mottled gray she-cat

Pouncetail-ginger-and-white tom

Graymist- light gray she-cat

**Cats Outside the Clan:**

Hawk- brown tabby tom with icy blue eyes

Blue- blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

**PROLOGUE**

The stars shone brightly, swirling above. The air was crisp and cool, even so then a new-leaf night. The silence stretched across the plains, and only few cats stirred.

A blue-gray she-cat crouched beside a pool, starring into it with blue eyes tight and worried. She didn't move, all her muscles tense, eyes flickering around the pool as her gaze followed what she was watching. After a few long moments, two cats trotted toward her, side by side. One was a large ginger tom, and the other was tortoiseshell she-cat.

The gray cat didn't look up, she already knew who was coming. Ever since Firestar had died, he and Spottedleaf had become friends, but no matter how much they were together, how much Spottedleaf seemed to care for him, Firestar continued to wait for his true love, Sandstorm, to join him in StarClan. For now, he'd just have to settle with his mate being the deputy of ThunderClan.

The tortoiseshell cat stopped at the opposite edge of the pool, while Firestar skirted along the side and stopped beside Bluestar, crouching and watching her with a worried gaze.

"Bluestar, the Three have tried their hardest, but the Dark Forest is powerful-" he began, but Bluestar cut him off.

"I don't blame the three. They have gained us more time to prepare for the Dark Forest. They may not have beat them, but they haven't lost either." she spoke quietly, gaze still fixed on the pool before and the images in it. "The Three's time is over. There is another cat who must defeat the Dark Forest." she meowed.

Firestar's green gaze widened and he looked into the pool, where a silver she-cat stood, hunting gracefully. "Is she...?" he meowed, and Bluestar only nodded.

"The only problem is," she continued, looking up from the pool into the far darkness. "The Dark Forest found out already."

Firestar looked back at her, eyes still wide. "Well, the least they can do is visit her in dreams." Firestar pointed out, only hoping it was true.

Bluestar shook her head again and the image on the pool flickered to another image; a strong brown tabby tom walking along the lake in ThunderClan territory. "They've learned to reincarnate." she whispered.

Firestar and Spottedleaf both gasped, and Spottedleaf shook her head. "Impossible! Even if they did, it's not like he knows of his past life!"

Bluestar sighed gravely. "He knows exactly why he is reincarnated, exactly who he is, and exactly who he must kill to win this battle."

Firestar jumped to his paws. "We have to send some one down there, to protect her. As a loner, to watch her without being suspicious." he meowed. Suddenly, his voice became distant, and his eyes seemed far away as he spoke. "_In a time of peace, frost will chill the Willow, and only blue can save her."_

The three looked at each other, and Spottedleaf spoke. "We must find her before the Dark Forest does."

**Short, I know. Anyway, I should have the first chapter soon. I just lost my muse for a while, and I still haven't gotten it back for Marked for Dead. Anyway R&R!**


	2. Chapter 1

**This story is already getting more traffic than I thought. Thanks reviewers! :) I planned on waiting longer to update, but now I just really want to xD.**

**Anyway, I would like to mention this story is set about 2 moons or more after Omen of the Stars, where Poppyfrost is pregnant with Berrynoses kits, which would be Willowkit, Brookkit, and Stormkit. I also had meant to have this from Willowkits and Stormkits POV but I totally forgot. But if I get to a sequel, it'll most likely be from Storm's POV, or maybe both.**

**Chapter 1!**

"Willowkit," A hiss came into her dreams, close by, ruffling the fur of her ear. "Willowkit, get up." The silver kit rolled over, her paw colliding with the cats muzzle, who growled in protest and jumped away. Willowkit opened her eyes to see a gray tom standing infront of her, looking slightly frustrated.

"Stormkit, what the-" Her brother cut her off by slapping his tail over her muzzle.

"Shh!" he hissed, and nosed her out of the nursery, where Brookkit sat, eyes wary.

Willowkit looked at her brother expectantly, but he didn't speak. "Well?" she asked. "Its only dawn! Why did you drag us out here?" she growled as Stormkit began to trot toward dirtplace, followed by Willowkit and Brookkit, both unwilling.

"We're almost apprentices, I thought we'd go take a look at the territory." he meowed, voice low and soft.

Willowkit's green eyes widened, and Brookkit stopped in her tracks. "That's insane!" Willowkit hissed.

Stormkit turned to them, blue eyes dancing with excitement. "Oh come on. You can't be three moons forever. We'll just explore a little and come straight back."

Willowkit stood, undecided. She wanted to stay in camp. They'd have their apprentice ceremony any day now, and she didn't want to jeopardize that. But the silver she-cat was always adventorous and curious, and she took a hesitant step toward Stormkit. Brookkit looked at her with wide eyes, light brown tabby pelt fluffed out.

"We are _not_ going out there!" she protested.

Stormkit rolled his eyes, and Willowkit knew that Brookkit had always been the boring one. Always cautious. The only thing she ever wanted to be in life was to become a medicine cat. Willowkit could hardly understand the decision. Becoming medicine cat would keep you from becoming a great warrior and fighting for your Clan, to becoming deputy or even leader.

She was snapped from her thoughts as Stormkit spoke. "Your right." Brookkit obviously was taken aback. "We're not. You stay here and Willowkit and I will go." The gray tom turned and trotted into dirtplace, disappearing.

Willowkit hesitated, glancing from Brookkit to where Stormkit disappeared. "Come on, we can't let him just go out there on his own." she meowed. "He'll never come back!" she glanced around quickly. Cats would be waking soon.

With a sigh, Brookkit nodded and the sisters trotted out of dirtplace, and once into the territory, Willowkit shook out her thick fur and gazed around her in awe.

Trees seemed to grow into the sky, and green seemed to glitter like stars around them. The ground was lush with undergrowth, and the dawn sun lanced through the holes in the leaves. "Wow..." Willowkit and Brookkit whispered simultaneously.

"So you did come!" Stormkit meowed from a few fox lengths away, nearly invisible in the thickness of the brambles and plants. Only his gray pelt shone through a gap in the growth, and Willowkit bounded forward, Brookkit taking slower steps.

"We need to be very careful. Who knows whats around here." Brookkit mewed, glancing around cautiously.

Stormkit huffed and rolled his eyes. "We came out here to have fun, and thats what I'll do." he leaped deeper into the undergrowth, and Willowkit followed, letting the leaves swallow her.

The undergrowth begin to thin, and suddenly Willowkit tumbled out onto flat, sandy ground. Sand caught into her pelt and she spit some out, sitting up. "Where are we?"

Stormkit jumped out from behind her, gazing around. "This must be the training hollow Berrynose talked about!" he meowed, much louder then necessary. Willowkit thought back to a few days before, when their father had spoken to them, explaining what would happen when they became apprentices.

"Lets train!" Willowkit purred, leaping at Stormkit and tackling him. She dug her paws into his shoulders, imagining it was her claws, even though hers were sheathed. Stormkit used his larger size to roll them over, pinning Willowkit and putting his paws gently on her neck.

"Okay, you win!" Willowkit said, pushing herself up and letting sand fall out of her pelt. She glanced at Brookkit, who was sniffing around. "Come on, Brookkit, lets see your fighting skills!"

"I'm looking for herbs." Brookkit shot at her, stopping at a plant and sniffing it carefully, but must have decided it was nothing important, for she moved to the next.

"Thats all you_ ever_ do!" Stormkit protested, crouching with tail waving in the air.

"Yeah, try something new!" Willowkit meowed, but when Brookkit stopped in her tracks and looked up slowly, their fun was shattered.

Eyes glittered in the darkness.

"Brookkit." Stormkit whispered, eyes wide with fright. "Get back here."

Brookkit slowly back up until she ran into Willowkit, and the two pressed together. This cats icy blue eyes sent chills down her spine, and he looked nothing like any cat in the Clan. Slowly, the cat stepped out into the rising sunshine, and he was a dark brown tabby, who looked exactly like Bramblestar, but with blue eyes.

"Ah, kits." The loner purred, eyes sweeping the kits, and suddenly freezing in place.

"Willowkit." he whispered, and a sickening pleasure spread through his eyes.

Stormkit and Brookkit looked in astonishment at Willowkit, but her eyes were frozen on the loner. She had seen him before, in many reoccuring dreams. He had always been chasing her through a dark forest. She had only dismissed them as dreams, until now.

"Its okay to speak, dear." he meowed sadistically, and suddenly sprang toward her. Willowkit let out a yowl and slashed at his nose, before turning tail and diving into the undergrowth, Brookkit and Stormkit on her paws.

"Stay together!" she meowed. "Head toward the camp."

She raced through the undergrowth, not daring to look over her shoulder. She heard the soft thuds of her siblings pawsteps, but nothing else. Had the cat not been chasing them anymore? Had the loner left?

Her suspicions were cast away when she tripped over a vine, rolling and facing the way they had come. She saw flashes of tabby pelt, and suddenly angry blue eyes stared at her. She shrieked and lashed out her paw again, only feeling air before it was back at her side. The tabby raised a paw and Willowkit rolled away when it came down where she had been. She ran as fast as her kit legs could take her, trying to gain back the length that Brookkit and Stormkit had put between them.

As she caught up to them, panting, her legs aching with the exhaustion and the adrenaline that flowed through them. They burst out into the open, and Willowkit wondered if they had arrived in camp.

Her heart dropped to her paws when she realized they were by a big body of water. The lake stretched out before her, and she yowled in despair.

"We went the wrong way!" Brookkit yowled, and all three whirled around and backed up toward the water as the tabby appeared from the undergrowth, shaking out thorns from his pelt.

"You can't run forever." he growled, crouching.

Willowkit shut her eyes tight and crouched, ready for the doom ready to come over her.

**Cliffhanger! I tend to do those a lot. Sorry. :). Anyway, review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**C'mon guys! I need reviews or some favorites to want to carry on. Last chapter, I didn't get anything. :(.**

**But Im updating anyway. **

**Chapter 2!**

Bracing herself against the ground, ears pressed flat to her head, she pressed to Stormkit's side, feeling Brookkit press into her on the other side as well.

When she didn't feel anything, only heard a yowl, she opened her eyes cautiously to see Sandstorm, the deputy, leap at the tabby loner. The loner hissed furiously and batted at the ginger she-cat, but she bared her teeth and dodged away, digging her teeth into his shoulder. Yowling, the loner seemed to listen to something and nod slightly, kicking away the ThunderClan deputy, rolling to his feet and bolting toward ShadowClan territory. Sandstorm let out a yowl after him, hissing through clenching teeth, "Coward!"

Willowkit shrunk slightly toward the lake as Sandstorm turned to them, eyes blazing. "You could have killed yourselves!" The she-cat hissed at them, trotting toward them with a lashing tail.

"We're sorry." Brookkit whispered, and Stormkit added, "It won't ever happen again."

Willowkit got out of her crouch, her tense muscles screaming in protest, aching from crouching so tensed up. "Thankyou so much." she whispered, and saw Sandstorms eyes grow warm.

"Follow me. I'll take you to camp. Poppyfrost is worried sick, and Berrynose might just kill you." she meowed, turning. "Bramblestar might let you off easy although."

Willowkit followed the she-cat, fur still fluffed up, and glanced over her shoulder, chills running down her spine when she saw cold blue eyes staring at her from the darkness of ShadowClan territory.

****

"Only mouse-brained kits do what you three did!"

Willowkit hung her head as the tabby leader paced infront of them, and not even Brookkit spoke, and Willowkit had expected her to say that she tried to convince Stormkit and herself that they shouldn't go out.

Suddenly, the den was quiet, and Bramblestar had stopped pacing. Willowkit peeked up, green eyes cautious and Bramblestar peered over them. Sandstorm stepped forward. "Bramblestar." she meowed, dipping her head and stepping around the kits to stand infront of him. "I think the kits have been punished plenty." she meowed, then whispered something. Willowkit was almost positive she heard her say 'loner'.

Bramblestar glanced at them in surprise, then looked back to Sandstorm and nodded. "You are dismissed." he meowed to the kits, and a wave of relief washed over Willowkit. She turned and trotted brisquely before Bramblestar could change his mind out into camp, picking her way carefully done the tumble of stones.

The moment she landed on the ground, Poppyfrost was covering her in licks, Berrynose nearby, watching carefully.

"You nearly scared me out of my fur!" Poppyfrost exclaimed, Willowkit wriggling from her grasp. Instead of holding Willowkit back, Poppyfrost moved onto Brookkit, who just huffed.

"What did Bramblestar say?" Berrynose meowed, trotting closer, and Willowkit saw that her fathers eyes were full of concern.

"They aren't going to be punished." Willowkit jumped when Sandstorm trotted to join them, leaping gracefully down the tumble of rocks and stopping infront of Berrynose.

Berrynose hissed lightly, looking to the three kits, each for a few long heartbeats, before meowing, "What were you _thinking?!_" he hissed, and Willowkit flinched slightly, and felt Brookkit's pelt rippled as she did the same beside her.

"Don't be too hard on them, Berrynose." she meowed, and a glimpse of humor entered her eyes. "Infact, if I don't remember right," she said slowly, as if speculating, though it was obviously a charade. "A certain cream colored kit once snuck out of camp and nearly killed himself in a fox attack." The deputy meowed, glancing at the stump of his tail before looking back to his face.

"Well, I, uh..." Berrynose meowed in a sheepish tone. "Don't do it again." he meowed brisquely, turning and trotting toward the fresh-kill, Poppyfrost following after her mate, trying to surpress a laugh.

Willowkit looked back to Sandstorm, meowing softly. "Thankyou, a lot." she meowed, flicking her ear.

"Ah, don't thank me." Sandstorm meowed. "Being adventorous pays off sometimes." The ginger she-cat meowed, then flicked her head toward Jayfeathers den. "Now, go get yourself checked out. You got a ton of burrs in your fur, and you've been limping ever since I found you." she meowed, glancing to Willowkit when she spoke, and Willowkit shrugged.

"I stepped on a huge thorn." Willowkit mewed sheepishly, and she turned, along with Brookkit and Stormkit, trotting toward Jayfeathers den.

**Short chapter, I know. It was slightly boring, but I didn't want to do the apprentice ceremony in this chapter with all this going on. And the ending was horrible, I know, but whatever.**

**Review!**


	4. Chapter 3 Summarization

**Okay, so I majorly hate myself for doing this, but when I tried to upload the next chapter, it logged me out and I lost the chapter... that I already rewrote 3 Times! I got so frustrated, and I know that if i try to rewrite it, it'll be h****orrible.**

**So as much as it pains me, I'm going to summarize what happened, since not too much happened.**

**Ivypaw and Dovepaw are now warriors by the name of Ivyleaf and Dovefeather. Willowkit, while watching, learned that she actually has special powers, even though I didn't originally plan it, that she can hear when StarClan meets to discuss things. She can hear their conversation even if they don't want her to. **

**Willowkit, Stormkit, and Brookkit became apprentices. Willowpaw got Sandstorm, the deputy as a mentor, Stormpaw got Spiderleg, and Brookpaw became Jayfeathers apprentice, the apprentice of the medicine cat.**

**Thats about it... again Im very sorry. I just have bad patience. **

**You don't have to review this one, since its not technically a chapter.**

**Thanks for reading, every one, I appreciates reader, and sorry for cheating you out of this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Again, sorry about last chapter. But it was just too frustrating to rewrite the same thing once, let alone 3 times.**

**Anyway, life goes on. Chaptttteeerrrr 4!**

It had been half a moon since the ceremony, and she had been listening to StarClan speaking in her head often. They hadn't spoke of ThunderClan often, and she had heard the secrets of conflicts in other Clans. ShadowClan had been spoken of the most. Ivytail's kits would help the Clan a great deal, but since StarClan knew that Willowpaw could understand what they saying. Ivytail had meant to become deputy when Rowanclaw died or became leader, but if her kits weren't apprenticed in time, it would stir up trouble. StarClan were slightly angry at WindClan, since so many of the cats were too sharp-tongued and angry at others. Crowfeather was common talk, along with Onestar.

RiverClan were quite peaceful lately, but soon there would conflict with good source, due to twolegs hunting fish. Duskfur and Mosspelt's kits would help RiverClan get their food back.

ThunderClan was the usual. She heard the prayers given to StarClan during hunting, and heard often some cats likely to be mates. She heard that Ivyleaf and Lionblaze might expect powerful kits in at least six moons.

StarClan knew she was listening, but they couldn't keep from conferring with each other about the conflicts.

She trotted toward camp, enjoying the crisp air of coming greenleaf. New-leaf was at its end.

"Good catches, Willowpaw." Willowpaw jumped, and nodded to Sandstorm, who trotted beside her with a squirrel, two mice, and a vole. Willowpaw trotted beside her with a plump rabbit, two mice, and a shrew. "Huntings always good right now." Sandstorm added as they arrived at the camp entrance. The sunhigh patrol was just leaving, lead by Dustpelt, with Dovefeather, Spiderleg, and Stormpaw.

Her brother nodded to her. "Good catches." he meowed, and Willowpaw nearly beamed with pride. She never got too many compliments from Stormpaw. Dustpelt nodded slightly in agreement.

Willowpaw pushed her way through the entrance after Sandstorm. She dropped her catches on the fresh-kill pile and picked one of the mice and the shrew she caught, turning and trotting to the elder den.

As she entered, she heard Brackenfur and his long former mentor Graystripe speaking, and she guessed Longtail must be sleeping. She dropped the mouse and the squirrel, and heard a purr from her grandfather, Brackenfur. "Thanks, Willowpaw." Graystripe meowed. Willowpaw nodded to them.

"I was just telling Brackenfur about when I first found Fireheart, and I'm just about to explain to him about why Ravenpaw left the Clan. Care to listen?" Graystripe offered, the young elder pushing himself to a sitting position.

"I'd love to, but I got to bring some food to the queens and eat and rest a little, I'm going hunting again soon." Willowpaw meowed. "Maybe later?" she mewed as she backed out of the entrance as Brackenfur and Graystripe picked back up their conversation.

She picked up the rabbit and trotted to the nursery, and as she entered she cocked her head to the side.

Squirrelflight was there, making a nest for herself, and Willowpaw remembered that her mentors daughter and Bramblestar had just began to speak to each other again. When Willowpaw noticed Squirrelflight's belly bulging, she guessed that she had just been taking too much prey, since she had never seen what a new queen looked like.

"Are you expecting?" Willowpaw asked when she set down the rabbit. Squirrelflight just nodded, and Icecloud raised her head. Sunkit tumbled in through the entrance and poounced on Willowpaw's tail.

"There you are!" Sunkit mewed and trotted around to face her. "You said you'd visit me, but you didn't." she accused, but the lively young ginger kit didn't look hurt.

"Sorry, I've been really busy." Willowpaw meowed when she turned to trot out, Sunkit following behind.

"Well, what're you doing now? We can play! Sneak up on Stormpaw? Pretend to fight ShadowClan with Trailkit? What about-"

Willowpaw cut her off, trotting toward the fresh-kill pile. "Sorry, Sunkit, I gotta rest up and go hunting soon." she meowed, shrugging as she picked a vole from the pile. "Maybe tomorrow."

Sunkit, looking crestfallen, sat down near Willowpaw as she began to tear into the vole. "Will I get to go hunting with you when I become an apprrentice?"

Willowpaw nodded, swallowing a bit of vole. "Of course. I'm sure you'll make a great apprentice." Actually, she somewhat wondered what cat would become her mentor. Sunkit was very energetic, she'd be hard to handle. Her brother, Trailkit, on the other hand, would be much easier, he was laidback and ready to learn anything.

"Who do you think will be my mentor?" Sunkit interrupted her thoughts with the exact words that Willowpaw was wondering. The ginger kit glanced around camp. "Maybe Dustpelt! Oh what about Sorreltail? Maybe Cloudtail... What if I get," she cut off, glancing at the Highledge. "What if I get Bramblestar!" she meowed.

Willowpaw finished up her vole and stood. "You won't know until another moon. Maybe its some one you don't expect." Willowpaw meowed, shaking out her silver fur. "Hey, I gotta go. I'll see you later?" Sunkit was already nodding and bouncing away, heading for Stormpaw. Willowpaw surpressed a laugh of amusement toward her brother.

She turned and trotted toward the entrance, tipping her head when she didn't find Sandstorm. Blinking, she turned to the nearest cat, Lionblaze. "Have you seen Sandstorm?" she meowed.

Lionblaze nodded and flicked his tail to the medicine cat den before trotting away. Willowpaw blinked, then turned and trotted toward the entrance, slipping in quietly. "Sandstorm?" she called.

Brookpaw met her at the entrance, purring as she touched noses with Willowpaw. "Good to see you!" she meowed. "Sandstorm is over there." she flicked her tail to where Jayfeather and Sandstorm were talking. "She got a thorn in her pad."

Willowpaw trotted over, Brookpaw at her side. "Are you okay?" Willowpaw asked.

Sandstorm nodded, wincing as Jayfeather yanked out the thorn. "Yeah, I'm fine." she meowed, trying to rest her paw on the ground, flinching again.

"Sorry, Sandstorm, but I need you to stay in camp until tomorrow." Jayfeather meowed, turning to Brookpaw. "Could you get some cobwebs?" The tabby she-cat nodded and turned, bounding over to a crevice in the cave and coming out with a wad of cobwebs. "Thanks."

"Tomorrow? But Willowpaw and I are going hunting." The deputy meowed, eyes following Jayfeather as he wrapped her paw with the cobwebs.

"Not anymore." Jayfeather mumbled before sitting back. "Alright, it should be fine, you can go rest up. But if it hurts, come tell me."

Sandstorm nodded with a sigh and trotted out, Willowpaw nodding to Brookpaw before following. "Maybe some one else can take you." Sandstorm offered.

Willowpaw shoook her head as they arrived back outside. "Stormpaw and I could go?" she meowed as Sandstorm stopped at the freshkill pile.

Sandstorm nodded slightly. "Just be careful," she warned as she picked out a mouse.

Willowpaw nodded enthusiastically and turned, trotting toward the apprentice den to find Stormpaw.

**Boring chapter, crappy ending. Sorry. Something else was supposed to happen when theyre hunting, but this chapter is way too long to add anything, so it'll be in next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Wow, Im a horrible updater! Im sorry guys, but my muse just keeps leaving me! I promise to try and update more. Now, you all deserve a new chapter**

"Hey, Stormpaw!" Willowpaw called, trotting over to her brother. Once she reached him, he turned to her, tail waving slightly. "Sandstorm can't go hunting today, but she said we both could." Willowpaw purred, watching as her brothers eyes lit up.

"Really? That's great! Lets go." Stormpaw turned and led the way to the barrier, Willowpaw trotting until she was walking at his side.

"You know, we haven't been able to talk much since we became apprentices." Willowpaw stated as they pushed their way through the thorn barrier. "I miss being a kit, sometimes."

Stormpaw chuckled slightly. "I don't. Apprenticeship is great!" Stormpaw leaped into the air and twirled, landing on his paws with a dull thud.

Willowpaw rolled her eyes as she tasted the air. "Yeah, well if you don't shut it, we'll never catch anything." Willowpaw could smell mouse on the breeze, and she crouched, heading toward the scent until she could see the tiny creature scuffling in the undergrowth. Her muscles bunched as she prepared to pounce, but a twig snapped nearby, and the mouse became rigid before racing off away from the two cats.

Willowpaw rounded on Stormpaw, but was shocked to see him in a tree. How could he possibly break a twig from a tree, when he was only clawing up the trunk? She blinked, then swallowed hard, and tasted the air again. Whatever had broken the twig was downwind, smelling her instead of her smelling it.

"Stormpaw, hush!" she hissed, and her brother stopped, looking at her in bewilderment. "Listen."

Willowpaw could hear pawsteps now, and she dove silently into the undergrowth, motioning for Stormpaw to follow her. He landed beside her, and she turned, trotting through the undergrowth away the sound, then rounding until she was upwind, and the smell carried to her. It was odd, a scent that was only vaguely familiar, but yet Willowpaw couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.

Beside her, Stormpaw was bristling, and his hackles were raising. Willowpaw flicked him with her tail tip and shook her head. "Whatever it is, we can't attack it. We haven't had that much battle training." she whispered, and Stormpaw only huffed and stalked forward, as if hunting a mouse.

Willowpaw lashed her tail lightly and followed close behind, belly fur brushing against the ground, and the scent got stronger and stronger, and Willowpaw almost knew what the scent was, but it was gone as fast as it had come.

A flash of fur in the undergrowth made Willowpaw freeze, and Stormpaw did the same, and Willowpaw crept forward to peek through the ferns. There, a dark brown tabby tom scuffled through the grass, ears pricked and eyes searching. His nostriles flared to catch any scents, and Willowpaw held her breath, Stormpaw tense beside her. This tom was so familiar, so familiar it set her fur bristling.

As quick as he was there, he was gone again. Racing through the undergrowth and out of sight, not heading toward a border but toward nomads land. Willowpaw let out a long sigh and stood, looking to Stormpaw. "Did he look familiar to you?"

Stormpaw gave her an odd look, as if he was confused. "What? He looked like every other loner I've seen."

Willowpaw looked away, toward where the tabby had disappeared. "We've hardly ever seen loners. I'm telling you, Stormpaw, there's something odd about that cat..."

Stormpaw followed her gaze. "Willowpaw, let it go. We'll just tell Bramblestar right away, no problem. Okay?"

Willowpaw let out a long sigh, then nodded. "Yeah, okay. I guess your right..."

"Lets get back. Bramblestar will want to know right away." Stormpaw meowed and turned. Willowpaw glanced back toward where the loner disappeared before following Stormpaws gray tail into the brush.

****

"And then he just disappeared." Willowpaw finished, feeling Stormpaw stir beside her. Bramblestar's gaze had made her slightly nervous while she spoke, and she could only guess it was the same for Stormpaw.

"Odd. Which border did he go toward?" Bramblestar meowed. Beside him sat Dustpelt, only because Sandstorm had gone out on a border patrol, now that her paw was better.

"None of them. He headed toward our border, where there was no other territories." Stormpaw stated, and Willowpaw nodded.

Bramblestar sighed and nodded. "Okay, thankyou. We'll send out double patrols. This loner could have just been passing through, but we need to know for sure."

Willowpaw nodded, and they were dismissed. Both got up and turned, trotting out of the leaders den. Stormpaw immediately went down the rock tumble, but Willowpaw hesitated, looking out at the forest, ears pricked.

Whatever happened with that loner, it wasn't over yet.

**Whew! yay updated! Ok so please, review! Only three reviews for six chapters... its kinda sad... anyway, please review.**


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